Identity theme in scarlet letter

A good-natured man would have easily pardoned a remorseful man like Dimmesdale. But these things do not give him any peace of mind. Paradoxically, these qualities are shown to be incompatible with a state of purity.

The description of the Rev. No fewer than three times in the course of the novel does he repeat that idea. His is the inner punishment as against the outer punishment of Hester. He suffers deep down in his heart. His fasts, vigils, flagellations and scourging are of no avail.

The sin saps his moral, spiritual and physical energies. The lovers evolve a new strategy to escape the revenge. He constantly pries into his private world. On many occasions, he tries to confess his guilt: But the timely and passionate interference of the young minister averts the fate.

It sits so heavy on his heart that his peace is gone. As regards the guilt of Mr. After disclosing the identity of her husband to Dimmesdale, Hester assumes the role of a true beloved.

It is the recovery of affections, or the assertion of the basic principle of being.

Unfortunately, Dimmesdale never fully recognizes the truth of what Hester has learned: Dimmesdale, who should love Pearl, will not even publicly acknowledge her. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale in the protective gloom of the forest surrounding Boston have had their fateful reunion.

Society, therefore, condemns her with the three hours standing on the scaffold and with the life-long wearing of the scarlet letter on her bosom.

The experience of Hester and Dimmesdale recalls the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering. They have deep love for each other to unite them together.

He is a worse sinner than either Hester Prynne or Arthur Dimmesdale, for his design is retaliatory and he knows Identity theme in scarlet letter forgiveness.

But the course of life, it is said, never runs smooth. But though hypocrisy can save him from social dishonor into which he is afraid he might fall after the exposure of his crime, it is helpless in remedying his spiritual hurts.

The sinful act of adultery, which is a guilt indeed, generates frustration in the lovers. Arthur Dimmesdale in it is quite in keeping with the oldest and most full authorized principles in Christian thought.

Instead, Hester stays, refiguring the scarlet letter as a symbol of her own experiences and character. By committing the crime of adultery, Hester Prynne has broken a great moral law and a long-established social convention.

And when by the way, he does so out of remorse he is taken in a different light. The theme of Frustration of Guilt 3. While Pearl has been discreetly sent out hearing range, the martyred lovers have unburdened themselves.

Here the expression of Dimmesdale is deeply moving: Dimmesale is that though he knows he is sinful, he leads the life of a hypocrite in complete disguise. Hester showed throughout the book how she changed the scarlet letter to represent her experiences and her true character.

The sin of adultery sends him to fasts, vigils, scourging, and penance, but his anguish is not abated. Hester is able to reveal her true character because she followed her own gut feelings regarding morality and did not let others define who she was.

The moment Dimmesdale, the harassed pry of his revenges dies, Mr. He is thus morally a coward. In a Puritan society dominated by the necessity to reform, only those who separated themselves from the strict expectations of the community may have the chance of fully developing their true identity.

The worst kind of guilt on the part of Mr. He is very much disgusted of it. Reading on The Scarlet Letter. He moves steadily towards his doom quite unaware of where he is, going.Identity and Society.

After Hester is publicly shamed and forced by the people of Boston to wear a badge of humiliation, her unwillingness to leave the town may seem puzzling. She is not physically imprisoned, and leaving the Massachusetts Bay Colony would allow her to remove the scarlet letter and resume a normal life.

The main theme of the scarlet letter is to be true. Hawthorne clearly says to "be true, be true, be true" at the end of the novel. Hester and Dimmesdale should have been honest since the beginning so they did did not have to suffer guilt.

The Scarlet Letter study guide contains a biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About The Scarlet Letter. Different themes in The Scarlet Letter apply to different characters, and the theme of identity is most applicable to Hester.

From the beginning of the book, the people of the Massachusetts Bay Colony determine Hester’s identity for her.

Identity Theme in. The Scarlet Letter 1.

Author and works The Scarlet Letter is considered to be the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne's masterwork. Born in Massachusetts, this is probably the reason the action of the book takes place there.

His other well known works include The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale. The Scarlet Letter By: Nathaniel Hawthorne Roger Chillingworth Project By: Ashleigh Shaw Identity vs. Society Hester Prynne Protagonist Pearl's mother adulterer In the Puritan society of Boston, Hester is harassed mercilessly for her adulterous actions.